Tooth-brush.



inventor,

attoznm o PATENTED MAY 12, 1908. E. D. BARNES.

TOOTH BRUSH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22. 1907.

q/vihmouo ELIAS D. BARNES, OF TARBORO, NORTH CAROLINA.

TOOTH-BRUSH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 1908.

Application filed July 22, 1907. Serial No. 384,984.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIAS D. BARNES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tarboro, in the county of Edgecombe'and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tooth-Brushes; and l do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had-to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to tooth brushes, and has for its object to rovide a brush which is particularly designei to be used in the treatment of Riggs disease of the teeth, but which is adapted to be employed as a tooth brush generally.

Riggs disease of the teeth seems to be very prevalent, and being an accumulation of calculus starting on the necks of the teeth is due primarily to a disregard of the teeth and also to the fact that it is difficult to remove the regular deposits of foreign matter on the necks of and between the teeth.

My invention has for its object to provide a brush which not only reaches but hugs the necks of the teeth on both sides thereof in such manner that when a brushing motion is imparted the bristles not only thoroughly cleanse the necks of the teeth but enter be.- tween the teeth from both sides in such manner that a thorough and absolute'cleansing is effected.

A further object of my invention is to provide a brush which also reaches the buckle surface of the teeth, the palatine surface, the posterior proximo and anterior proximo.

With these objects in view my invention consists in the novel disposition of the bristles on the back of the brush; and my invention also consists in the'formof the brush in combination with the specific disposition of the bristles thereon as. will be first fully described and afterwards specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through a brush constructed in accord.- ance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation showing position of brush on tooth, and Fig. 4 is a similar view showing position of brush when utilizing same for removing deposits from between the teeth near the necks thereof I Like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several figures in which,

1 and 2 indicate the brushes, and 3 the handle connecting the same as shown in Fig. 1. The brushes 1 and 2 comprise a substantially U-shaped back 4, the brush 1 being larger than the brush 2 as clearly shown in the drawing; the large brush being of a size sufficient to encompass the posterior teeth while the small brush 2 is of a size sufficient toencompass the upper anterior and also lower anterior teeth.

Referrin r to Fig. 1 it will bej'seen that the bristles 5 a ong the top thereof are larger at the outer end of the brush and greatly diminish in length; while it is seen in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 that the bristles 6 on the lower portion of the brush are longer than the central or intermediate bristles 7. The purpose of this construction is at once apparent when reference is had to Figs. 3 and 4. .The neck of the teeth being'narrower than the remaining portion thereof the specific arrangement of the bristles as shown and described allows, the

brush to snugly hug the teeth in such manner that the entire tooth and particularly the neck thereof is engaged and cleansed by the bristles; whilethe arrangement of the bristles5 (Fig. 1) allow the longer bristles 6 to enter between the teeth on the upper surface thereof in order to remove any deposits.

As shown in Fig. 4 a tiltingmotion of the brush causes the longer bristles 6 to enter between the teeth at the necks thereof in order to remove any deposits therefrom which is similar to the action of an ordinary tooth pick. By the construction of this brush it is not only possible to thoroughly cleanse the osterior and anterior teeth on the outer surace thereof but to effectually cleanse the inner surface as well as the portions between the teeth, which portions form receptacles for foreign deposits. It is entirel evident that it requires no longer time to c eanse the teeth with this brush than with an ordinary brush now in common use, while it is possible to completely remove all forei n deposits from all portions of the teeth whic is practically impossible with the form of brushes in common'use. As before stated, this brush is particularly adapted for use in the prevention and treatment of Riggs disease of the teeth, for the reason that as this disease starts at the neck of the teeth and is 'due to the accumulation of calculus occasioned by regular deposits of foreign matter Riggs dis ease cannot attack the teeth so long as they are kept free from foreign deposits 'on the necks thereof. j

Havin thus fully described my invention what'l c aim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is A brush of thech'aracter described comv 'prising a substantially U-sha ed back of a size sufiicient to" encompass *t e teeth, said 'Ufshaped back being provided on the inner surface thereof suitable bristles o1 brushmaterial, the bristles under the upper 16 ortion of the back diminishing in length. From the outer to the inner edge of the back and the bristles on the lower-portions ofthe back increasing in length toward the lower ends of the back; substantially as described. 20 In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, 

